


Witness (Feel) Suffer

by zarinthel



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:21:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22013293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarinthel/pseuds/zarinthel
Summary: It's a quiet night in the Falling Snows.
Relationships: Haurchefant Greystone/Warrior of Light
Comments: 7
Kudos: 43





	Witness (Feel) Suffer

**Author's Note:**

> this work stars my wol, Valerian Caligorne. He's a min height duskwight elezen.

Valerian stirred in his bed, feeling the endless chill of Camp Dragonhead subside for just a moment. Why had he come to this place again... ? He blinked his eyes slowly open, gaze catching on Haurchefant. The lord of the keep had pulled his chair close to the bed, his silver hair catching the low gleam of the room’s hearth as he smiled down at Valerian. 

What was it that made him so beautiful when he smiled?

“Shh...” He whispered, mirth plain across his face. “I’m not supposed to be here, Valerian.” Haurchefaunt hesitated as Valerian failed to respond. “Unless you want me to leave, of course, I meant when I said you were always welcome here, and I don’t want to make you feel--” 

Valerian lunged forwards, hand grasping onto the cold metal weave of Haurchefaunt’s tunic. Words had abandoned him, as they so often did. He opened his mouth and shut it, a strange fury rising in him that once again, he’d be unable to--

Once again?

Haurchefaunt laughed a little, eyes lighting up as his small laugh lines curled to follow the sound of his voice. 

“In Halone’s name, Valerian, I didn’t realize. Otherwise I’d have done this sooner. You’re kind of hard to read, you know. I realize I’m not really the person to be saying this to you, but.. Well.” Haurchefaunt took Valerian’s hands in his own and leaned in closer, til his words propelled the faint warmth of his breath across Valerian’s knuckles, causing goosebumps to sneak up his whole arm. “It’s selfish of me, but can you share your heart with me? Just this once.” 

Valerian could feel the words all crawling around inside his throat, too many all trampling each other into the ground before even a single one could escape. He swallowed, and pushed on anyway. 

One of his hands pulled free from Haurchefaunt’s hold, and traced its own way up to Haurchefaunt’s neck, where he continued to bring it up to cup first the jaw, then the sharp cheekbone. 

Haurchefaunt looked surprised, but he still leaned into the touch, as his eyes remained fixed on Valerian, drinking in his every action. 

Valerian’s other hand was much more shy than the first, sneaking up behind Haurchefaunt’s back so that he could cup the back of his head, feel the silken strands of his hair. They felt amazing, much better than the way his own hair had been damaged by close to ten years of dyes. 

Still thinking these types of quiet things, Valerian pulled Haurchefaunt in for a kiss. 

“Ah--” Valerian felt Haurchefaunt’s sharp exhale through his own lips, vibrating with the taste of old smoke and an inexhaustible, burning warmth. Desperately, Valerian sunk deeper into the kiss, hoping to use Haurchefaunt’s own tongue to give voice to his words. 

Time blurred, and Valerian had no idea how long it took for Haurchefaunt to pull himself back, panting slightly as a gorgeous blush stained his cheeks. His eyes still gazed at Valerian, a bit dazed and astounded, and Valerian realized he was also blushing. Thankfully, with how dark his skin was as a duskwight, it was barely visible. 

.. But it still seemed to be very obvious to Haurchefaunt, if the way his eyes traced over Valerian’s face was any indication. The man was too observant sometimes. Valerian had to cough and awkwardly look away. 

Haurchefaunt’s laughter once more lit up the cold room, and Valerian found himself drawn back in, as moth to flame. Though he was sure Haurchefaunt would call him the flame instead, which was just..bizarre.   
“I haven’t blushed over a kiss since I was still a teen, stealing kisses behind the stable door.” Haurchefaunt pressed his hands over his lips, showing the faint bruising that Valerian had already caused.   
He wanted to cause more. 

“I didn’t get up to much of anything when I was a teen.” Why could he talk now, for this unimportant part? Why not when-- And, there the words went again. 

“No? Forgive me Valerian, but I find it hard to believe that people weren’t lining up for the chance to hold your hand, let alone...”

Valerian looked at him with disbelief. The man was out of his mind, he’d always known that. And yet, to get such a clear example of it...

He pulled at Haurchefant, trying to get him to drop the subject by reminding him of where they were: alone, in a room with a bed. Haurchefaunt followed the tugging easily, allowing himself to slip from the chair he’d been perched in and onto the bed that Valerian had been sleeping in. 

Haurchefaunt shed his armour as Valerian disrobed, remaining under the covers for both the barest hint of modesty and to hide from the ever present chill. He was from the desert, after all. He’d never even _seen_ snow until he arrived in Coerthas. 

“Cold, Valerian?” 

Haurchefaunt, finished with getting rid of his own layers, slipped in beside him, curling around Valerian’s back. 

“I never realized,” he continued, tracing his hands down Valerian’s back. “You’re kind of short for an elezen, aren’t you?”   
Valerian turned a searing glare over his shoulder. He only realized that now? 

“Shut up, Haurchefaunt.” 

“I love it when you say my name.” Unbothered, Haurchefaunt continued dragging his hands all over Valerian’s upper body, seemingly content to never move on past this stage of the process. 

Valerian blew out a sigh and gave in, rolling so he could tuck his head into Haurchefaunt’s neck. Strangely, this got the most reaction out of Haurchefant, as he seemed to almost freeze up, before his hands resumed their meandering ways. 

“Valerian..?” His voice was quiet, almost tentative. 

“Yes?” Valerian smiled from where his head rested against him. “What is it?” He pushed a little against the bedding so he was as close to Haurchefant as possible, skin to skin. 

Haurchefaunt pressed a small kiss against the top of Valerian’s head, his voice low as a whisper of wind. 

“I never expected you to come back, after you got your airship and finished going above and beyond to help me with everything. I thought..” His arms slipped around Valerian, embracing him. “I thought I’d missed my chance. Even when you kept coming back, you never seemed to notice my hints.”

Valerian blinked, startled. 

“Sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize, Valerian! Not for something so charming.” 

Valerian didn’t know what that reminded him off, but it made him..

“Haurchefaunt? Is it fine if we just stay like this? For as long as we can.” 

“.. Of course, Valerian. Whatever you want.” 

Valerian reached up to steal one more kiss, before closing his eyes. It was so warm like this, and he was so tired...

He was awoken by a knock on the door, and rolled over into nothing, the bed empty beside him. 

“Master Caligorne?” 

He knew the knight on the other side of the door. It was Haurchefaunt’s second. Her voice sounded hoarse, like she’d just been crying. 

“Ser Aymeric is here, for the funeral. I think you’d want-- I think he’d want to you be there, for this part.” 

Valerian’s stomach churned, and he locked his hands around his mouth, making a quick run for the bathroom before he could lose what little he’d been able to eat in the past few days. Panting, he took a quick look in the mirror, hoping to disguise-- something, what was he trying to hide?

And paused.

His lips were bruised. 

“Sorry...” He said quietly. “Sorry, I’ll be... I’ll be there.”

**Author's Note:**

> sorry . 
> 
> please comment, i love to hear responses : )


End file.
